High stakes business meetings

Today I had to go to the office. It was absolutely mandatory. The meeting was just too important. High stakes business decisions had to be made. I can’t stretch it enough: HIGH STAKES.

I got up early, jugged down my coffee, hopped into my car and off I went. The journey through unending traffic was long and cruel. Too many cars, too many other people needing to go to a HIGH STAKES business meeting, just like me. Many companies and careers were on the line today. A kind of static was making the air thick. We were all in this together, all in the same boat. But every one was fighting for themselves. In the game of HIGH STAKES business meetings, there is no room for kindness and compassion. It’s ME vs. THEM. If they are all punctual, then I will be late - so the ancient saying goes.

I gave my all to navigate the unending traffic. Caffeine pumping through my veins. But every traffic light encountered greeted me with a bright red smile. “You will be late”, they told me, “we will make you late. In fact - we shit on your HIGH STAKES business meeting!” Traffic lights from hell, I tell you. Their shining bright red light was shining for me and for me alone. I would never be on time. I thought of the workshop. Of all the important people attending. All the important topics to be discussed. All the important decisions to be made. It was just too important. I must not be late. Pedal to the metal I broke every speed limit. Being late was out of the question. Not today. Today was important.

Exactly 2 minutes before the important HIGH STAKES business meeting I arrived at the office. Just in time to get another caffeine fix. Coffee in hand I rushed to the meeting room. To my disbelief, NO ONE was there. “Not again!”, I thought, seeing the cancellation of the appointment 5 minutes before the meeting would have started. Because one of the other HIGHLY IMPORTANT participants is sick. “Next time I won’t stress myself”, I told myself, as I got the next invite for the next HIGH STAKES business meeting, 7 minutes after its cancellation.

Yet again - as always - it was totally unnecessary for me to come to the office today.